Song 187 - "Macavity" from Cats

Saturdays should sparkle. This year, in the Jukebox, whilst I'll dust down the old girl, who has been unplugged for six months, Saturday are going to be show tunes because I love musicals and I can't my playlist without tunes from shows on my playlist. I know musicals aren't for everyone, but if you fall into this category, don't read my blog on a Saturday. Simple!

For me, I have to start with a tune from the first musical I show in the West End, in fact, I think Macavity was the first poem I could recall without having to read it from a book. I still have brilliant memories of the first time we saw Cats. It had been a present from our Grandparents, who lived in London for a day in the West End. There was, of course, a bit of a drama from me (heights in theatres are one of my fears), which has always been met with disapproval from my family, who must go "oh no, here we go again".

But after I went upstairs (we weren't even sitting on a balcony), I was in heaven. The rubbish dump set (with everything on the scale as a cat would see it), was breathtaking and I was transfixed by the next 2 hours of songs, dance and excitement. My addiction to musicals started that day and, even, thinking about it now, I am filled with a warmth as this love is something I shared with my family and the songs from Cats take me to a place of very precious memories of my childhood that can be provoked as soon as you turn on the playlist. But that's music for you and I think everyone listens to music with their own memories.

Anyway, before I go misty-eyed,  Cats would not have happened without T.S. Eliot, and his book of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber who put the poems to music and Trevor Dunn, the director who put it on the stage. Cats had its premiere in London's West End in 1981 and is one of the longest musicals in the West End. I've seen it four times, once in London and three times in Edinburgh. Unless you have a passionate hatred of cats, I would recommend it to you.

My favourite description of Macavity is below with the link to the track,

Macavity's a ginger Cat, he's very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity from Cats the musical